New guinea impatiens plant named &#39;balcebpiel&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘Balcebpiel’ characterized by its large pink-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, medium upright, mounded growth habit, and excellent basal branching.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct New Guinea Impatiens plant botanically known as Impatiens Hawkeri and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Balcebpiel’.

The new cultivar was developed by the inventor in a controlled breeding program during June 2000 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breeding program was to develop New Guinea Impatiens cultivars with numerous large flowers, excellent basal branching and upright compact to moderate growth habits.

The female (seed) parent of ‘Balcebpiel’ was the proprietary Impatiens Hawkeri selection designated ‘1585-4’ (not patented), characterized by its upright growth habit, light pink-colored flowers and medium green-colored foliage. The male (pollen) parent of ‘Balcebpiel’ was proprietary Impatiens Hawkeri selection designated ‘BFP-2565’ (not patented), characterized by its pink-colored flowers and dark green-colored foliage. ‘Balcebpiel’ was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination in January of 2001 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. and was initially designated ‘3183-2’.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings taken since January 2001 at West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It was repeatedly found that the cultivar of the present invention:

1. Exhibits large round pink-colored flowers,

2. Forms medium green-colored foliage,

3. Exhibits a good basal branching character, and

4. Exhibits a medium, upright mounded growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parent primarily in flower color and from plants of the male parent primarily in foliage color.

Of the many commercially available New Guinea Impatiens cultivars known to the inventor, ‘Balcebpiel’ is most similar to ‘BFP-844’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,415). However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in West Chicago, Ill., plants of the new cultivar differed from plants of ‘BFP844’ in the following characteristics.

1. Plants of the new cultivar have more branches than plants of ‘BFP844’,

2. Plants of the new cultivar have shorter branches than plants of ‘BFP844’, and

3. Plants of the new cultivar have larger flowers than plants of ‘BFP844’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Balcebpiel’. The plants were grown from rooted cuttings for 14 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habit of ‘Balcebpiel’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of a single flower of ‘Balcebpiel’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length without, however, any variance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 1995 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined on Sep. 11, 2003 between 1:00 and 1:45 p.m. under natural daylight conditions.

The following measurements and comparisons describe plants produced from cuttings taken from stock plants and grown under greenhouse conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were grown in 10 cm pots for 14 weeks utilizing a soilless growth medium. Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 72° F. during the day and approximately 65° F. during the night. Greenhouse light levels were maintained at approximately 4,000-7,000 footcandles during the day.

-   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—Impatiens Hawkeri cultivar ‘Balcebpiel’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female (seed) parent.—Proprietary Impatiens Hawkeri             selection designated ‘1585-4’ (not patented).         -   Male (pollen) parent.—Proprietary Impatiens Hawkeri cultivar             ‘BFP-2565’ (not patented). -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7-14 days.         -   Time to develop a rooted cutting.—Approximately 21 days.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant Description:     -   -   Habit of growth.—Compact with good basal branching. A mature             plant, 14 weeks after the planting of a rooted cutting,             commonly measures approximately 15 cm from soil level to top             of plant plane and approximately 24 cm in width (plant             spread).         -   Plant form.—Upright and mounded.         -   Branches.—Quantity per plant: Approximately 2. Length:             Approximately 7.4 cm. Diameter: Approximately 9 mm. Texture:             Glabrous. Color: 144A. Internode length: Approximately 1.9             cm.         -   Foliage.—Type: Simple. Arrangement of lower leaves:             Alternate. Arrangement of upper leaves: Whorls. Shape:             Elliptic. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Serrulate, ciliate. Texture of upper and lower surfaces:             Slightly rugose. Pubescence of upper surface: Moderately             papillate. Pubescence on lower surface: None. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Size of mature foliage: Length:             Approximately 9.7 cm. Width: Approximately 3.7 cm. Color of             mature foliage: Upper surface: Slightly darker than 137A,             with veins and mid-vein of 145C. Lower surface: 147B with             veins and mid-vein of 145B. Petiole: Length: Approximately             1 cm. Diameter: Approximately 3.4 mm. Texture: Upper and             lower surfaces: Glabrous. Color: 145B. -   Flower Description:     -   -   Flower type.—Single, not fragrant with self-cleaning petals.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering with flowers positioned             above the foliage and facing outward or upward.         -   Natural flowering season.—Year round in greenhouse             environment. Flowering is continuous from spring until fall             in the garden.         -   Flower longevity on plant.—Approximately 10 days.         -   Quantity of flowers and buds per stem.—Approximately 1 fully             open flower and 7 buds at any one time.         -   Mature flower buds (just before opening).—Shape: Ovoid.             Length: Approximately 1.8 cm. Diameter: Approximately 1 cm.             Color of petals: Darker than 54A.         -   Flower shape.—Round, flat to slightly cupped.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: Approximately 6.6 cm. Depth:             Approximately 1.7 cm.         -   Petals.—Number: Five per flower. Shape: Obovate. Margin:             Entire. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Superior petal has truncate             base, other four petals have attenuate bases. Texture of             upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Appearance: Iridescent.             Size: Superior petal length: Approximately 2.7 cm. Superior             petal width: 4.3 cm. Lateral petal length: 3.2 cm. Lateral             petal width: 2.8 cm. Lower petal length: 3.5 cm. Lower petal             width: 3.1 cm. Color of upper surface of all petals: 47D             with venation of 47B and base darker than N57A. Color of             lower surfaces of all petals: 49D with venation of 47B,             mid-vein of 59C and base of 47C. Petal color fades with age             to 54A.         -   Calyx.—Quantity of sepals: Three, with lower sepal modified             into a spur. Sepal shape: Ovate. Sepal apex: Acuminate.             Sepal texture of both surfaces: Glabrous. Lateral sepal             length: Approximately 1.4 cm. Lateral sepal width:             Approximately 6 mm. Lateral sepal color of both surfaces:             145B. Lower sepal length: Approximately 1.5 cm. Lower sepal             width: Approximately 7 mm. Lower sepal color of both             surfaces: 55D with venation and margin of 55A.         -   Spur.—Quantity: One per flower. Length: Approximately             5.1 cm. Diameter at flower: 3 mm. Diameter at tip: 1 mm.             Aspect: Curved downward. Color: 146C overlaid with 59C.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: Strong. Angle to stem: Acute. Length:             Approximately 4.6 cm. Diameter: 2 mm. Texture: Glabrous.             Color: 145B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Five stamens, anthers are             fused together forming one organ that surrounds the pistil.             Filaments are free. Generally, the anthers shed pollen prior             to the stigma becoming receptive. Filament color: 61B.             Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Approximately 3 mm.             Anther color: Colorless and translucent. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: 8D. Gynoecium: Pistil number: One             per flower. Pistil length: Approximately 5 mm. Stigma             length: 0.5 mm. Stigma color: Colorless and translucent.             Style length: 0.5 mm. Style color: 144D and translucent.             Ovary length: 4 mm. Ovary diameter: 2 mm. Ovary color: 144A. -   Seed and fruit development: Neither seed nor fruit production has     been observed. Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens     and pests common to Impatiens has not been observed. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balcebpiel’ substantially as herein shown and described, which:
 1. Exhibits large round pink-colored flowers,
 2. Forms medium green-colored foliage,
 3. Exhibits a good basal branching character, and
 4. Exhibits a medium upright, mounded growth habit. 